


His Eyes

by AnUnknownForeignBeauty



Series: Karmafaldaata Shani [1]
Category: Hindu Religions & Lore, कर्मफल दाता शनि | Karmafal Daata Shani (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-03-08 15:11:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13460862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnUnknownForeignBeauty/pseuds/AnUnknownForeignBeauty
Summary: Lord Shani is cursed by his wife at the night of their wedding that his gaze will bring destruction at whom he will look. So Shani is doomed to keep his eyes lowered forever. As he tries to control the destructive power of his gaze, and his wife repents for her deed, their relationship begins to grow.Meanwhile Ravana is seeking revenge on his scorn enemy.Based on the Mythological show on Colors TV- Karmafaldata Shani.





	1. His eyes

She watched him standing , in the middle of nowhere, his black cape bellowing in the wind.

"Whenever I was trying to ditch the path of detachment and embrace the path of attachment, why always bad things happens to me?" She heard him saying to Mahadev. His voice was calm. He was not complaining. He was just asking questions. "Why ? "

It was so simple question, yet so difficult that, all wise Mahadev just lowered his head silently.

"Why?" His voice was full of so much pain, that Dhamini could not stop her tears falling from her eyes. "All I wanted to protect Dhamini from everything with my power. Now I can't look at her beautiful face anymore; watch her beautiful looking at me with silent wonder. Why all of my joys are being taken from me? Why?"

What had she done?

She was so much proud of her love for Shani, but now it looks like her feelings was nothing in front of his feelings for her. Where she always strove to have Shani's appreciation, Shani always admired her from far, always supported whatever she did. His feelings were much deeper than hers.

Her uncontrollable anger always made her do terrible things. Once her anger once almost made her a subject of public humiliation, and then tonight again her anger made her to curse her own husband. 

"Your gaze will always be inauspicious to whoever you look at from now on." Mahadev disappeared after uttering his last words, "I am so sorry Shani. But I have to no power to undo the curse. "

Dhamini felt so ashamed. If it was possible she could give up her own life to undo the curse, she would do it happily. But now all she could do was just watch her husband standing alone in the middle of nowhere, all alone.

She had already seen the effect of her curse. The green ground, on Shani walked on already turned into a lifeless dessert. The trees around them were already turning into brown and dead.

Letting a sigh to escape, Shani closed his eyes. His destructive gaze would not spare anything around him.

From his birth he lived with curses- his father's curse, then his step mother's, now his wife. He had already learned to live with them, probably he would learn to live with this curse too.

"Shani," He startled with a voice from behind. It was Dhamini. He started to face her, but then quickly closed his eyes. No, he could not do this. He would not let any harm come to her.

"I am so sorry." He felt her small hands wrapping around his torso, her small body was wreaking with bouts of cries

"Please, look at me, Shani." Her voice was breaking. "I don't care what might the effect of your gaze bring to me, but for once, please look at me."

She was sorry. She was openly admitting her mistake. Something inside him was melting, he did not know . Suddenly, he wanted to touch her, wrap her in his arms, take away all of her sorrow, tell her everything would be alright. But he stood there, pretending being oblivious of her actions.

"Go away, Dhamini." He gently pushed her backward, carefully avoiding looking at her face. "You know well what my gaze will do to you." He turned his back towards her, casting his gaze on a nearby tree. The tree turned lifeless in that instant.

"See, what my gaze might do to you. " He told her without turning back. "You better stay away from me. Just leave me here.

Dhamini gasped watching the tree turning lifeless which was decorated with colorful flowers a moment ago.

What had she done?

Whatever she did, it was her mistake. It was her duty to make it right.

"No," She gently placed her right hand over her husband's shoulder. "I will not leave you alone. If you want to stay here, then let me stay here with you."

Shani was amazed by her determination. So it was what a wife meant to be. A friend, a person to stand beside you, when you are alone.

"Go away, Dhamini." He protested again. "You are not safe with me. My gaze will destroy everything, even you."

"No," Dhamini whispered softly, laying her head over his shoulder, "My home is with you. I might not have any solution to you problem, but I can be with you. If you refuse to look at me, I will look at you, take care of you. I will be your eyes. I promise."

Her fragrance was intoxicating, her words held something that made Shani admire her once again. He might not in love with her, but he had no heart to reject her love again.

So, as Dhamini slipped her hand into his, he did not protest. Though he could not see her anymore, but somehow he knew she was looking at his face with mute wonder. Did he ever tell that he enjoyed her stolen gazes since the first day they met.

Dhamini felt her tears welling up once again from her eyes as she looked at Shani's closed eyes. His eyes... She remembered how they would sparkle when she made him laugh or when he got an idea that would make others look at them as if they were crazy. She smiled sadly as she recalled those memories that would be forever lost in the past. How they clung to each other hanging from a tree, still not losing faith. And that's why she chose to be with him.

"Let's go." She whispered. Shani nodded, and started to follow her. He kept his eyes down with a fear that his gaze would fall on anyone.

Dhamini tried to match his pace. He pace was painfully slow. He had a slight limp. One Yami told him how his step mother's curse made him to lose his leg. Now her curse made him unable to look anyone forever.

And suddenly she felt a surge of protectiveness for her husband. Someday, somehow she knew they would find a solution to this problem. But she just did not know how.

Until then, she would love him, protect him from all the hurt, all odds coming in their way.

It was her promise.

 

To be continued...


	2. Vulnerbilities

They kept walking together in silence.

It felt like a dream.  Dhamini looked at their joined hands- how perfectly they fitted together. Her small hand seemed like a perfect fit into his large one. 

Her eyes traveled from their hands to the face of her husband.  He was silent through their journey together. His face was emotionless, his eyes were down casted. But she knew inside he was breaking a bit by bit.  She wanted to look into his big beautiful eyes, tell him she would walk by his side forever, take away all of his sorrows. ****

How long she waited for this moment to come.  And finally when this moment came, she lost it only due to her foolishness.

She wanted to apologize, but her apology could not break the curse.

 _There must be some way to break the curse_ , She thought to herself. _There must be. Or I myself will plead to Mahadev to transfer the curse on me instead of my husband._

"Dhamini," her chain of thought was broken by Shani's soft voice.  She stopped and tilted her head to look at his face.

"It will do no good by blaming yourself. You only did your karma. So stop blaming yourself for the consequence." Shani said softly. His hand was pressing hers reassuringly.

Tears welled up from her eyes when she met his down casted gaze.  She did so many wrong with him, yet he was so gentle with her. God! She really did not deserve this man.

"I am so sorry." Finally her emotions broke the dam. "I don't deserve you. I really don't." She clutched the front of his dress, and cried her heart out.

Shani did not say a word. He let her tears soak his clothes; he stood as her supporting pillar as long as she cried. And as she ran out of her tears, he gently helped her to stand, held her shoulders as she continued trembling.

"Are you alright?" He asked her finally, as she wiped her wet eyes.

"Yes," Dhamini nodded, and clutched his hand again, "Let's go.

They left the deserted land behind, and continued their journey through the paths of Suryalok. The landscape continued to change. But it was not the path leading to the Surya castle, it was different, full of wild trees and flowers. It was so beautiful, that Dhamini wondered where they were actually going.

Just then, she heard Shani speaking, "We are not going back to Suryalok, Dhamini."

Did he just read her mind? "Then where are we going? Dhamini wondered.

"To where I used to live in my childhood to hide from my father's curse." Shani told her pointing at a cradle decorated with flowers, and a fond smile crept to his lips. "And this is my most favorite place. Mother used to sing lori for me here."

Dhamini followed his direction, and her mouth fell open. The place was beautiful beyond imagination. It was full of exotic flowers and trees, creating a shed of their own. Only a small amount of sunrays peaking through the thick shed of leaves created a mysterious aura. A gentle breeze blew to her face, and she automatically began to feel better.

"This place is beautiful." She turned to find Shani, but he was not there.

"Shani," Suddenly her concern grew. She had already inflicted so much pain on him by her curse. She had taken away his most cherished power from him. And this place reminded him of the first curse of his life.

How much pain can one bear? What if he broke down?

"Shani.." Dhamini called, but she could not see him anywhere. She searched around, but there was no trace of her husband.

"Shani.. " She kept calling his name desperately, and an unknown fear began to creep inside her heart.

What if...

Right then she a dead grass came into her view. She followed, there was another and another. She followed the trail. The trees around her were brown and dead.

"Shani..."  She followed his trail, and suddenly she stopped by a fearful scream. She stopped in her track and saw her husband, holding an demon by his neck, shielding a small group of Gandhavas behind him. And he was staring directly at the demon.

"Shani..."  Dhamini cried in alarm, fearing for her husband's safety. But the demon had already turned into ashes.  He cast his gaze upon rest of the demon holding the Gandarvas captive, and they turned into ashes.

The Gandarvas cheered, chanting the victory of Shanidev. They gathered around him to express their gratitude.  "Thank you, Lord Shani." A small Gandrva child touched his arm in gratitude.

Shani closed his eyes to stop himself from looking at the child clutching his arm. The curse was intensifying. He tried to control himself. In his head, he could hear cries of the all the tortured people calling his name for justice. His rage was increasing.

"Please, go way." Shani closed his eyes and pushed away the little girl.

"No," The girl was clutched his arm tightly, and smiled. "Wait please, Lord Shani. I want to offer my respect to your feet for saving us."

 "I am not taking any of your prayers now." Shani clumped his eyes shut, and spoke through his gritted  teeth. The voices in his head were intensifying. He pushed away the girl.  The girl fell on the ground, and began to cry.

And then Shani's  eyes flew open and his gaze burned a hole into the little girl's arm.

"Shani..."  Dhamini ran towards Shani, as he stumbled backwards. "Shani..." She caught him before he hit the ground. He was unconscious. Dhamini pulled her arms into her arms and, amidst her panic, began to see the curse taking its effect. It was intensifying. It was getting out of control. It was making all calm Shani loosing control over his power. The Gandharvas, meanwhile, looked at the fallen god of justice and gasped.

"What happened?" An old Gandharva who recognized Dhamini, the Gandrava princess, asked, "What happened to Lord Shani?"  He looked at the face of their beloved god. "We have not seen him in such state  before."

All Dhamini could cry, and tell them about the curse. The Gandharvas too could not believe that their beloved princess could do such horrible thing like cursing her own husband.

"Do you know any way to undo the curse?" Dhamini cried, holding her husband's head cradled in her arm. 

The old Gandarva shook his head sadly, "No daughter. Even I don't know how to undo this horrible curse. But I can only prey that you will find a way. I will speak with your father if he knew anything. Now let us help you to carry your husband somewhere safer."

Dhamini nodded. Shani was regaining conciousness, and tried to move.

"Hold still," Dhamini softly whispered and pressed Shani's head to her chest to keep him from moving. The god winced as he became more aware of his current condition. It felt like there was a deep emptiness in his bones. The faintest tingling of the rage remained, but it was so depleted that his head had begun to ache terribly. He cringed and leaned into Dhamini's body in a desperate attempt to escape the pain.

"Are you okay, Lord?" The old gandharva asked.

"I'll be fine in a moment," Shani replied through gritted teeth, doing his best to break out of his sudden rage induced mental fog. "I just could not hold my gaze down for a moment..."

"It' ok," Dhamini insisted, holding his weakened body close to her. "You have saved them from the demons. You have not done anything that will be inauspicious for them. We have been though a lot today. You  _have_  to rest."

"Yes...," Shani replied in a slurred voice, barely clinging to his senses. He hated to see himself in such state, but somehow Dhamini's presence comforted him. He had never been comforted by anyone, except his mother. But those memories were long lost. Tears streamed down from his tightly closed eyes. He had no power to control them anymore.

Seeing that Shani was fading fast, Dhamini spoke up. "Please help me to go back to our home."

The Gandharvas nodded, and help Dhamini carry her husband to their lost nest. She laid him in the flowery bed where Devi Chayya once sang him lori.

"Shani, I may not understand how it is live with curses. But it's okay."  She compassionately wiped away Shani's tears.

"Mata.." He was mumbling in his sleep. He was remembering his mother. Suddenly she realized how much Shani still loved his mother, after everything happened between them. All the time she saw him as a tough, stotic man. But,  Dhamini had never seen this vulnerable side of his before.

"Shani, you live with so much hurt, but you never let anyone see that. Oh, why do you do that?" Another little agonizing whisper of Devi Chayya's name tore into Dhamini's heart. "Shh... it's going to be all right. Please... please just hold still. Maybe you'll feel better if you rest." She held tightly to Shani and ran her fingers into Shani's thick curls. She hummed the lori soothingly until Shani's tense, aching body relaxed in her embrace.

"I will protect you from all the sorrows," she murmured, shifting to lie down with her husband. "I don't care what your gaze will bring to me, but I will stay wherever you are. Tears made their way down Dhamini's cheeks as she watched his eyes moving behind his closed lids.

"I love you, Shani. And I hate seeing you in so much pain... I promise I will keep you happy always, and take away your sorrows from you."  Shani was asleep and didn't respond. Dhamini's weeping eventually subsided and she held her husband gently as the exhausted lord of justice slept.

To be continued....


	3. Wall

_rom today your gaze will bring only destruction on whoever you will look at_...Waves of memories broke against the shore of his consciousness, and Shani's eyes flew open, and his gaze turned the flowery canopy above him brown and dead.

 _"From now on you can not control your gaze, Shani_." Mahadev's voice continued ringing inside his head, " _Your gaze will bring only destruction."_

Frustrated, Shani closed his eyes.

He remembered his first curse- his father's curse. He was banned from the rays of the sun for so long, now he was banned to look at anyone forever.

Many and many voices continued ringing inside his head, begging for justice, begging for fruit of their deeds.  There were so many wrongs happening in the world. But he could not do anything to prevent this.

Feeling a rage of uncontrollable anger, Shani sat straight up on the bed. The air swirled violently around him, an unrelenting tornado reflecting his inner feelings. He remembered last night, how his gaze burnt hole into the arm of the little Gandharva girl who only wanted to offer her gratitude. But more than anger he was sad.  No, beyond sad, even. he felt hopeless.

His devotees, the only people he allowed himself to care about, and he accidentally hurt someone with his  pow- no, his curse.

He could not bring justice to the world anymore. Moreover he became a danger to everyone.

At a distance he could hear a lovely humming. The song seemed too familiar. Shani took a deep breath, and the sound of the song began to calm him down.

Dhamini...

She was singing his mother's lori while cooking foods for two of them.

The bed was still smelt of her, her warmth still did not leave his body. Shani remembered how gently she held him when he finally broke down, how her lori soothed his troubled mind, how her gentle whisper finally put his aching body down into a dreamless sleep.

 _You always bring sorrow to everyone. How much sorrow you will give to those who love you?_  His mother's voice at the night of Grhayudh rang inside his head. He had no right to make Dhamini live with a person who could bring her destruction by his gaze. He had no right to hurt his innocent devotes who prayed to him for justice.  He could live with his curse. He had no right to bring sorrow in anybody's life.

"NO!" Shani violently tried to shake the thoughts out of his head, but eventually, he got tired of fighting.

Slowly he rose from the bed, his legs were still wobbly, his head was still aching. The curse was also sucking the life force away from his body. Slowly he made his way towards the inner chamber of his childhood home, behind the dark curtain where his mother used to hide him from his father's curse.

He closed the curtain behind him and sat on the stone where his mother used to sit when he was little. He waved his hand, and a wall of energy began to form around him, separating him from rest of the world.

"Dhamini will not find me." He thought as he closed the curtain behind him.  Memories after memories flooded his vision.

He looked around the room where he once thought his mother used to hide during the day.

The painful truth when he found it was only a lie.

The eventful night when he learned about his father's curse.

His father's rays burnt his flesh.

And then Badhra...the little sister who loved him dearly, dying in his arms.

He closed his eyes, letting a single tear to fall. No he would not feel attachment to anyone anymore. Not with the world.

"Shani..."

His chain of thought was broken with a soft voice from behind. "Dhamini...' His hands stopped in the midair, leaving the energy barrier half finished.  His lowered gaze met her tiny toes adorned with silver toe rings.

"Go away.." He averted his eyes before the power of his gaze could burn her toes.  

"No," Dhamini took another step forward standing between him, and the energy barrier forming around him, "I am not letting you to detach yourself again form everything."

"You're not safe here..." Shani addressed Dhamini and felt the ground around him cracking. He clumped his eyes shut.  If he completely lost control now, Dhamini would be killed! That terrified realization only forced him to throw more power from his hand and to close the barrier around him.

Memories of Bhadra killing herself flashed before his eyes.  He could not let the history repeat itself.

"Go away," He cried. The power of curse was getting stronger.  His gaze fell on the pillar behind Dhamini, and it began to crack.

Before Dhamini could move any closer through the power emitting from his body, Shani steeled himself and carefully created a thick wall of transparent energy barrier between himself and his wife. He shot his gaze on a nearby pillar and it did not go through the barrier, much to his relief. Dhamini was safe for the moment.

He closed his eyes again, a drop of tear trailed along his cheek.

 

**_To be continued..._ **


	4. Breaking the wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dhamini knows about her husband's past

Chapter 5: Breaking the wall

"Shani," Dhamini cried, tears streaming down from her eyes, she did not try to wipe them away. Through the transparent barrier that stood between her and her husband, she could she his broken form, his unfocused gaze as he looked at the ceiling above. His shoulders were slumped as he leaned against the pillar, wrapped up inside his own cocoon.

He looked so lost.

Dhamini did not know what was troubling her husband so much, nor did have any idea about what happened in his past. She always wondered what happened between him and Devi Chayya that made her hate her own son, and why Shani could not cross the distance between them. But she could feel that the same feeling again made him to create this distance between them.

"Shani, can you give me a chance please? May be we can figure it out how to end the curse? Together?" Shani saw his wife pressed up against the barrier he created between them, her breath fogging the clear surface as she insisted that she could help him to make everything alright somehow.

He knew such a thing was impossible; even Mahadev did not know how to undo his curse. Though he had no problem to live with the curse, he was worried about the people around him. His simple mistake could hurt them without any cause, even they did good deeds. He knew it was his fault that he could not save Bhadra. If he could not control his powers, he would bring same fate for Dhamini too.

"Stop crying, Dhamini." He turned away sharply and cast his gaze over the ceiling above him. 

"Brother," Bhadra's voice was ringing inside his head, and this time his gaze penetrated the barrier around him, making the ceiling crack.

He remembered how Bhadra surrounded herself to save the world from her power. This time the situation only reversed.

"Go away. You are not safe here anymore." He turned his back at her, and closed his eyes shut. Now even his protective barrier could not hold the power of his curse anymore. Dhamini could get hurt if she stayed here.

Dhamini did not seem to hear him. She continued to beg from the other side of the barrier. The pillar behind her shook.

"Go away, Dhamini." Shani closed his tightly, and moved his hands creating another layer of protective barrier around his to stop his curse from affecting everything around him.

The crack over pillar spread, and a huge chunk of stone fell, missing Dhamini for an inch.

"Shani," Dhamini pressed herself more against the wall between them, trying to go close to her husband, "Please, let me come in."

The curse was no more limited to his eyes. The ground beneath him was cracking too.

"Can't you see it is dangerous here?" Shani clumped his eyes shut, and shot a bolt from his hand to stop the crack reaching Dhamini on the other side. "The power of curse is getting dangerous. It is affecting everything in my presence."

"I don't believe it," Dhamini's response was a horrified whisper at first as the crack stopped just at her feet, again she repeated herself in increasing volume and terror, slamming her fists against the wall between them.

"I am not leaving you alone here Shani." Tears welled up from her eyes, watching her husband breaking a bit by bit.

It was her fault, entirely hers. Because of her, Shani was in so much pain. She pressed her hands against the barrier and cried. Everything began to crumble around her.

"Shani..." She desperately hung close to the wall her husband created as the stone ceiling above her finally crumbled.

"Dhamini," The energy barrier finally dissolved as Shani watched his wife getting buried under the crumbling roof. He closed his eyes, trying to summon all the positive power left inside him, still not affected by the curse. He tried and tried, and a ray of blue light erupted from him, instead of the cursed red. He kept his eyes shut and kept concentrating.

Images after images flushed before eyes. Mata Chayya singing him lori, Bhandra calling his name, Yami smiling at him, and finally Dhamini...

You will never be inauspicious for me, in spite of whatever you did in the past...

He could hear the sound of crumbling roof fading, and when he opened his eyes he found the crack stopping an inch from Dhamini.

"Dhamini.." 

Her wedding dress was torn into pieces, she looked smaller than before. Surrounded by the fallen rocks, Dhamini lay slightly curled on her side. The ground beneath her was stained with blood and it was still pooling under her body as Shani staggered forward.

"No..."

Shani collapsed to his knees before the crumpled figure. He reached a hesitant hand to his wife's shoulder. A strangled sob forming inside his throat, chest tight and face screwed up in pain as he laid a hand on his fallen wife. The memories of Badhra dying in his arms flushed in his mind.

Shani brought a shaking hand to cup Dhamini's still face. There was a weak pulse thrumming on her neck, and her chest was still moving weakly with each breath. Shanu finally let loose a sigh as he bent down and lifted Dhamini's body into an embrace. He held tightly to the slim frame and trembled. 

"Why Dhamini? Why? Don't you see what my curse can do to you...Then why did you chose to stay with me? " Still not looking at the face of his wife, Shani gently stoke Dhamini's hair. He was detached from everything for so long, then why did he care for this girl? He did not know.

Dhamini now lay cradled in Shani's arms, lying across his lap as he sat in the red-tinged ground. The young bride's face was so still, so relaxed - a far cry from the pain it held just minutes ago.

Shani sat among the ruins holding his fallen wife in his arms, and gently ran his fingers through her blood stained hair. He had no problem to live with her curse, even he accepted his curse. But why did it hurt him so much to see her lying here, motionless in his arms?

Dhamini jerked at the sensation and opened her eyes. Brown met black and Dhamini smiled lovingly despite the emotional torment she had just experienced. It had been so long since she'd really looked into Shani's eyes. There was so much fear staring back at him. Shani quickly closed his eyes and looked away.

"Shani," She raised a hand to reach his face, but Shani quickly averted his face. "I am glad that you are alright." He said quietly, "It was dangerous."

Dhamini nodded, and desperately clang to Shani's arms as he helped her to get up. Her legs were still wobbly, and she grabbed the front of Shani's clothes as she was about to fall. Shani held her shoulders and held close to him as she tried to steady herself on her feet. The ground beneath was cracked and the small cave was a ruin. But she was glad to be close to her husband.

Cautiously, she laid her head over his chest. She was afraid that Shani would move away, but he did not. His cautious hands were still gripping her shoulders as if he still feared that she would collapse again.

Dhamini took the advantage of the moment, and lay her head on his chest, listening to his steadily beating heart. Oh, how much pain could this heart hold?

What was troubling him?

"Shani," She hugged him tightly as he twitched slightly, desperately trying to get away. "Tell me, what is troubling you?" Dhamini held him firmly and whispered.

Shani stiffened with her question. "Dhamini... He closed his eyes, afraid it would hurt Dhamini again. He was losing control again. "You will hate me if you know about my past."

The air around them was still blowing violently, reflecting his inner turmoil.

Dhamini looked around them, around the tornado forming around them, but she kept holding her husband tightly. Tears streamed down from her eyes.

"I will love you despite whatever you did in your past. Trust me. She moved closer and laid her head on her husband's chest, without fearing what his curse might do to her. "We will go though our pasts and present together. Trust me."

The determination in her voice was so encouraging. No one talked with him like this in a long time, not since his mother abandoned him. Her touch was so soothing, that Shani automatically leaned in her embrace.

And the tornado began to turn into a gentle breeze.


	5. The truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally Dhamini learns about Shani's past, and gets the power to pacify all powerful Shanidev. Mangal dosh does not exist in this story. Dhamini cursed and repents for her mistake consciously.

"Tell me. Dhamini held him tight, close to her body. "Tell me everything.

Shani's eyes opened all the way, his stomach churning with unpleasant memories, the air becoming colder than it had been before. The thought of Bhadra dying years ago still haunted him. The world might have forgotten the one little girl with destructive power but with a heart of gold, but her memories didn't vanish from Shani's life. The guilt of not being able to save her haunted his days and nights. He really wanted to say no and send his wife away without an argument. But when he opened his mouth with a determined expression, it faltered when he spotted the loving gaze of his wife roaming over his pained face.

He couldn't resist those eyes. He always admired her innocent eyes watching him with mute wonder. With a smile, reminiscing about the experiences they had been through before the curse, the air gentled a bit.

He wanted to tell her everything, to share his burden of sorrows, his joys, his everything. But the truth was so bitter, that it hurt him even remembering them.

"You will hate me if you know the truth. He nodded, and took a step backwards, trying to escape from his wife questions.

A blast of cold wind blew, and Dhamini shivered. She knew, Shani was trying to control his emotions. This wind continued to blow violently, reflecting his inner turmoil. Dhamini moved closer to her husband wrapping her arms around him more tightly, with a futile effort to keep him from breaking down again.

Cautiously, she placed her hand over his heart. She was afraid that he would leave her, but he did not. His heart was beating heavily under her touch. She turned up her tear stained face to look at her husband's eyes hidden behind his closed lids.

"Don't worry. She whispered tenderly. "I am here with you.

There must be some magic in her touch, because it calmed him a bit. Shani drew a labored breath, and leaned into Dhamini's embrace unconsciously, her arms acting as his support.

The burden was so heavy...he needed to get it out... or he would suffocate someday under his burden.

"Yes... He closed his eyes, trying not to remember Bhadra's dying breath.

"I had a little sister, Bhadra. He fell silent, trying to hold back any tears from escaping as the nights spent with his little sister playing in this very room flowed through his head. "I loved her so much."

Dhamini shocked to hear the confession from her husband's mouth. Though she knew him for a very short time, but hearing him confession to love someone was very shocking. Something she did not expect hear. And the pained expression in his face told her he loved his sister dearly.

"And you still miss her," Dhamini looked at Shani's face, his down casted eyes. She knew tears gathered in those beautiful eyes, even without looking at her. She cupped her palms to hold the drops of warm tears falling from his eyes. One by one his tears gathered in her cupped hands, forming a small pool in her gathered palms. His tears were warm, his emotions were bare. Dhamini gently touched her husband's arm and led him to the flowery bed in the middle of the ruins. They sat under the canopy of dead flowers, and Dhamini placed her hand over Shani's heart.

"Let it go. She whispered.

Shani nodded, covered her hand with his. "I will tell you everything, Dhamini.

Dhamini looked at him questioningly, and suddenly the world around them vanished. Flashes of images began to pass before her eyes like a living stage show. She saw the war between Devas and Asuras at the beginning of the creation, Mhadev's prophecy, Shani's birth, his abandonment by his own father, his humiliation by his own siblings, his promise to Devi Chayya, and the curse that made him lame for life.

A drop of tear threatened to fall from Dhamini's eyes. She wanted to stop all the bad things happened in Shani's life, and made it better. If only she had power to turn the wheel of time!

She felt Shani's grip tightening around hers when she finally saw Bhadra dying in his arms. Shani closed his eyes and ground his teeth, becoming frustrated with himself.

"I promised to save her from everything. I could not..." He waved a hand frustratingly. The images vanished. "You better leave me alone, Dhamini. Or I might not protect you from my curse." He closed his eyes and freed himself from her embrace, ready to leave.

"No! Dhamini shouted, and ran near her husband's retreating form. Her frame forced Shani to the ground and they fell backwards onto ruins. Dhamini landed on top of Shani and refused to move. Shani was expecting the worst kind of reaction out of her. Instead, she immobilized her husband as best as she could by covering Shani's body with her own. Shani twitched slightly, but soon gave up. Dhamini lay sprawled on top of her husband, her head rested on his chest. 

"No, Shani. Dhamini's voice was thick with tears, "Don't. You can't leave me alone! I won't let you." She interlocked their fingers much to Shani's discomfort and stayed as she was. Shani didn't say anything, but Dhamini could feel Shani's heart beating fast under her chest.

"Let me go, Dhamini. You know what my curse can do to you, to everyone. Shani struggled once more, but her touch felt as if warm water was washing over his head and slowing taking away his pains. Unconsciously he kept leaning in his embrace as if trying to escape from the pains trying to consume his consciousness.

Dhamini didn't loosen her grip on Shani's cold hands. She let her tears flow from her eyes and and spoke.

"Please stop fighting and listen to me! I know you're in a bad place right now. I know that what just happened was awful. I know you didn't want me a part of your misery, but you had to. You had to. And it's okay." Dhamini lifted her head to look her husband's face and tried to pull herself together.

"I am not afraid of you; I know you won't hurt me. Not with your powers. But if you hurt yourself it hurts me too, Shani. Worse than anything." Dhamini's tears dripped onto Shani's face .

"I need you! I can't lose you. Please don't leave me... not again," Dhamini said, tears finally overcoming her at the traumatizing memory she saw from Shanis past and kept holding him tightly.

"I love you," she sobbed. "I really, really do." Dhamini released his hands and clung to the fabric of Shani's dark dress, pressing her ear to her husband's chest to hear the racing heartbeat. She pushed her head snugly under Shani's chin, held him tight, and let her emotions go. "Together we will find solution for everything. I promise.

As much as Shani was unused to letting himself feel, it was hard not to with his wife so desperately close. He could feel Dhamini take shallow gasping breaths as she sobbed. She... really meant that, the fallen God realized. All of it. Finally starting to believe it brought tears to his eyes. When her hands were released Shani slowly and carefully moved his arms to hold onto the shaking form lying on top of him and began to hold her back. For the first time forever, he was held someone so close, after Bhadra. He began to feel emotionally so close to her that he himself could not believe.

"Its alright. He moved his lips to her ears and whispered, letting his emotions flow freely in front of her.

Suddenly Dhamini felt a surge of strange energy inside her. Her grip around him only became tighter, trying to remember all the positive memories she and Shani shared. She remembered his open emotions, and when she opened her eyes she saw a bright blue light erupted from Shani's body, and connected her with him. She looked at the ruins around them, and held Shani's hands, the bright blue light began to emit from her body too.

The light grew brighter and brighter, and it engulfed two of them completely.

"What is happening? Dhamini clung to her husband, full of fear, but he said nothing. The world froze around her, and she saw faint shadow of Tridevs through the light emitting from their bodies. Mahadev raised his hand in blessing, and the tridevs disappeared.

And when finally the blue light faded, Dhamini found herself in the same position, curled up with her husband. Shani was still holding her.

She opened her eyes and looked at the ruins around them. The crack beneath their feet began to heal; the stones around them began to gather to form a cave for two of them.

"What happened? The young bride was puzzled.

"Mahadev heard our prayers. She heard her husband speaking softly in her ears. "He might not end the curse, but he helped me to share a part of my energy with you. Your curse made me unable to give anyone any positive result for their deeds, but from now on I can channel my positive side through you.

The young bride smiled and nuzzled her face into her husband's chest. She basked in the warmth radiating from the body holding her, so grateful that he still trusted her so much after everything that had happened.

He gently helped her move from her stiff position and settled her down on the ground. With his help she stood up, and when she finally able to steady herself on her own feet, she saw Shani gazing down at her with an expression of love and wonder.

Joy flooded Dhamini's heart as she stared back at him because for once there was no confusion in Shani's face.

"Are you alright?," Shani asked, startling the young bride out of her reverie.

"Yes," Dhamini replied, and her smile only got bigger. She remembered her dream. She felt a surge of strange energy inside her. Suddenly she understood the meaning of her husband's words and realized what to do.

"Shani, She pressed a warm hand into Shani's and looked at the sunrays peeking though the canopy of thick leaves overhead. "We need to go back to Suryalok. It's almost morning...Everyone will be expecting us.

"Yes... Shani nodded, looking at the ruins and dead dried mess around them. 

"Don't worry. She placed her hand into his and led him out of the ruins. "I will always be with you.

The brown leaves began to turn green behind them.

The end


End file.
